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Sony's PlayStation Plus subscription service provides PS5 and PS4 owners with essential online services, like multiplayer, cloud save storage, and tons of downloadable games. Users can choose between three different tiers with monthly and annual payment options.
Plans start at $10 a month, but to unlock access to the game library you need the more expensive PlayStation Plus Extra ($15) or Premium ($18) plan. These tiers are comparable to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, a service that has amassed more than 25 million subscribers and is often compared to Netflix for its large library of games and streaming capabilities. Check out our Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus breakdown to see how the services stack up.
To help you decide whether Sony's subscription platform is worth the price of admission, we've put together a rundown of Playstation Plus plans, features, and games.
What is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus is a gaming subscription service that launched in 2010 and then expanded with new plans in 2022; it's required to play most multiplayer games online on PS5 and PS4 consoles and to keep your game save data backed up in the PlayStation cloud.
PlayStation Plus is available in three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The latter two plans give members even more features, including the ability to play hundreds of PlayStation games as part of their subscription.
PlayStation Plus members also get access to free games every month that they can keep for as long as they're a member. Sony gives discounts and special offers to PlayStation Plus members in the PlayStation digital store as well.
How much is PlayStation Plus?
Sony offers three PlayStation Plus plans. The Essential plan starts at $10/month, while Extra starts at $15/month, and Premium starts at $18/month. All three tiers are also available at a discount if you choose to pay for three months or one year upfront.
Starting September 6, however, the annual price of all three PlayStation Plus plans will go up by $20 to $40 depending on your tier. Current PlayStation Plus members won't have to pay the increased price until their next renewal date on or after November 6. New and existing members can also lock in the current price if they buy before September 6.
PlayStation Plus plans and prices
PlayStation Plus Essential | PlayStation Plus Extra | PlayStation Plus Premium | |
Price | $10/month, $25/three months, $60/year* | $15/month, $40/three months, $100/year* | $18/month, $50/three months, $120/year* |
Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cloud saving | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Free monthly games | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PS5 and PS4 game library (up to 400 titles) | No | Yes | Yes |
PlayStation, PS2, PS3, PSP game library (up to 340 titles) | No | No | Yes |
Streaming games on PC and PlayStation consoles | No | No | Yes |
What features are included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium?
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium plans include several additional features you won't find on the standard PlayStation Plus Essential plan.
PlayStation Plus Extra offers up to 400 downloadable games for PS4 and PS5 along with the core services of PlayStation Plus like online multiplayer, cloud saving, free games every month, and discounts on digital releases.
PlayStation Plus Premium provides more than 300 classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PlayStation Portable along with more than 400 games for PS4 and PS5. PlayStation Plus Premium members ware also be able to stream the library of games and additional PS3 games on PlayStation consoles and PC.
What games are included with PlayStation Plus?
Sony's website has a full list of games included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium plans. The list includes multiple PlayStation exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Returnal. Third-party titles from non-Sony publishers are available too, like Mortal Kombat 11, Death Stranding, and Control.
More games get added to the PlayStation Plus catalog on a rolling basis. A games inclusion in the library isn't always permanent, however, so some titles may be removed over time.
What do the new PlayStation Plus plans mean for PlayStation Now?
The launch of Sony's new PlayStation Plus plans coincided with the termination of its old PlayStation Now service. PlayStation Now was a separate game streaming subscription that was supported on PlayStation consoles and computers. As of June 2022, PlayStation Now features are now offered as part of PlayStation Plus Premium instead.
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